Biologic therapeutics are currently available for treating diseases and disorders such as transplant rejection, leukemia, breast cancer, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and Crohn's disease; and numerous additional protein-based therapies are in development. Available biologics therapeutics include AMEVIVE® (alefacept), ZEVALIN® (ibritumomab tiuxetan), ORTHOCLONE® (muromonab-CD3), ENBREL® (etanercept), REOPRO® (abciximab), RITUXAN® (rituximab), SIMULECT® (basiliximab), REMICADE® (infliximab), SYNAGIS® (palivizumab), HERCEPTIN® (trastuzumab), ZENAPAX® (daclizumab), CAMPATH® (alemtuzumab), MYLOTARG® (gemtuzumab ozogamicin), HUMIRA® (adalimumab), AVONEX® (Interferon beta-la), and TYSABRI® (natalizumab). Natalizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody against α4β1 integrin (VLA-4). Natalizumab binds to the α4 subunit of α4β1 and α4β7 integrins. Natalizumab is useful to treat certain inflammatory diseases and conditions including multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.
Because immune responses to biologic therapeutic agents may have clinical consequences, immunogenicity assay development and validation is of great importance in the field of biologic therapeutic agents.